Triangular Francisco

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Triangular Francisco method
Triangular francisco.gif
Information about the method
Proposer(s): Michael Gottlieb
Proposed: 2009
Alt Names: TF, TFM, TriFran
Variants: Hexagonal Francisco, Quadrangular Francisco
No. Steps: 5
No. Algs: unknown
Avg Moves: 60?
Purpose(s):

The Triangular Francisco method is a 3x3 speedsolving/novelty method invented on a whim by Michael Gottlieb when Thom Barlow posted an omegle conversation with a stranger who claimed to be able to solve a cube in 5 seconds with the "Triangular Francisco Method". The method was created in less than 20 minutes, yet still has a lot of potential to be fast. The method has not been explored very deeply yet. Gottlieb has achieved a sub-20 average of 100 using it, and other cubers have achieved sub-20 singles.

The Steps

  • 1. Build a triangle and place it on D. A triangle is a completed side which is missing two adjacent edges and the corner in between. This step is also known as the B2 Bomber.
  • 2. Solve the E layer. You can use many strategies, including Keyhole.
  • 3 or 4. Simultaneously orient the U-layer corners while inserting the last corner. You can use CLS or CSO (which disregards edge orientation) for this. If you use CLS, this step can be number 4. There are 104 algorithms for this step.
  • 3 or 4. Orient the U-layer edges while inserting the last two D-layer edges. A two-step approach, first inserting one edge then orienting while inserting the other edge, requires only 18 algorithms (including mirrors). (See also: L5EOP)
  • 5. Permute the Last Layer.

Pros

  • After the triangle, the method requires very few cube rotations; steps 2 through 4 can be done using only R, U, r, u, and M moves.
  • Look ahead is usually easy, and recognition is not too hard.
  • There is a lot of freedom in step 2.

Cons

  • CLS/CSO has 104 algorithms.
  • The move count is higher than many other speedsolving methods.
  • Building the triangle is hard to get used to.
  • Few people use the method, so it's hard to find resources.

See also

External links